The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-13
CARING FOR THE INJURED.
The Horrible Scenes Witnessed in the Impro-
Has.aitals at Chatsxxarth

The Horrible Scenes Witnessed in the Impro-
vised Hospitals at Chatsworth.
CHICAGO Aug. IA Times special from
Forest. ILL.,, says AS fast the wounded
brought into Chatsworth from they wreck they
were taken directly to the town hall, which had
been turned into a temporary hospital. This is
a two-story frame building. the lower floor being
used as quarters for the local fire company,
while in the upper hall entertainments are
given. Beds and cots were brought in from
neighhoring houses. together with necessary
bedding and the sufferers cared for by
-sovisg hs-sls. The floors os the hall greatly
resemble the drill room of the Desplaines street
police station in Chicago. on the night of the
Havmarket riot. Torn and bleeding human be-
pgs, in all the different stages of suffering, lay
around the rooms, moaning and crying with
agony aud pain, while doctors and nurses
binding up their wounds. Bloody clothing,
torn and covered with mud lay around on the
floors in heaps, together with car cush-
ions, mattresses and blankets. which
they had been brought from the scene
of the wreck Many patients were under the
influence of ether or choroform, while their
faces, ehostly white, showed the suffering which
they were undergoing. while partially oblivious
to the fact. Blood everywhere-on the
floors, walls, clothing and hands of the wounded,
as we'll as of those who caring for them.
AS the day wore away, and the afternoon shad-
ows deepened into evening, the scenes changed
somewhat; the wounded had been dressed and
bandaged, and most of them rested quietly
enough. overcome by mental and bodily suffer
ing. Resting comfortable beds, watched by
tender-hearted men and women. the majority of
whom had never the patients until yester-
day. they slept. oblivious to the slaughter which
had nj oil
around the halls, their light carefully shaded,
and the scene was highly suggestive of the in
terror of hospital the field of battle. In
one of the lower hall lay John c. Steen,
a resident of Jersey City. large and
powerful man. Both of his legs
were broken and he had received such Internal
injuries rendered his recovery doubtful.
Adam Shoeberger, of Peoria, lay near him, semi
conscious and slowly breathing his life away.
One of his legs was broken and be was fatally
injured internally. On the upper floor. a hand
some woman, about twenty years of age.
stylishly dressed, lay extended couch. She
was Miss Hattie Brenner, of Farminetcn, ILL.,,
and was on her way to Niagara Falls with
several of her relatives. In the party was a
young man named Walters also of Pennington,
and to whom she was engaged to be married. He
had been badly injured and lay her on a
bed, attended by couple of surgeons. While
Miss Brenner physically unhurt by the
wreck. yet the fright and knowledge of her
lovers injuries has rendered her insane.
In the depot at Chatsworth. and in the unoc-
cupied store used morgue the was
suggestive of slaughterhouse. Stretched out
on the floor in different positions were the corpses
of men, women and children, dressed in the
clothing in which they had met their death. In
r%o S,1 a.
feet long, counted twenty seven corrses at
one time. Their clothing was torn and dishev-
eled, and their stifen-d arms, in the majority
Of instances crossed over their breasts. The
heads of the dead generally mangled in
most frightful manner and were always covered
Yith some article of clothing. The face of young
woman 'Hho was lying on the floor of the depot had
been beaten in by the cruel car tinbers that
recognition was entirely out of the question. and
her brains and the flesh of her face were a pulpy
mass. in which dappled her long red hair. She
was not identified. A man with a heavy dark
mustaehe, and who was apparently about thir-
ty FIVE years of age had been struck in the face
by substance which had torn away his jaw
and the side of his face, leaving the throat and
the lower part of his face exposed. ive-year-
old boy, with a chubby face and curly
hair looked contented and smiling. His legs
were not alone broken. but the flesh
mangled .hat it had the appearance of raw beef.
His chest was crushed in and his body covered
with bruises Nearly every corpse was mangled
or disigured. The faces of some of the dead
were black. as though they died by suffocation,
while others were deathly white.
When the dead body of Edwin T. Adams was
searched by of his friends neither his pocket
book nor gold watch could be found, although
he was known to have started on the trip with a |
large sum of money. The only cash found
his person was $50. which he had hid in the |
watch pocket OF his trousers S. Fl. Smither. of |
Forks Haven, w Va, informed reporter that
he saw a man who was pinned down by of |
the cars offer several persons near by 800 and |
his gosd watch and chain If they would release J